


The Fire In Your Eyes

by Amberly



Series: Just Like Heaven [16]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M, Plotting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:02:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27264679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amberly/pseuds/Amberly
Summary: “No what ifs.” It’s firm. Steely, and Duo finds himself at the end of one of Wufei’s looks. Finds himself melting despite the chaos around them. The hurricane of fear in his chest. How he loves this man. How he loves the way he understands him, his need to fix this, and combats it with chamomile and the promise of bed, together. Duo takes a sip of his tea and leans into him.
Relationships: Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell
Series: Just Like Heaven [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/405643
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The Fire In Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Something is coming Something Is Coming SOMETHING IS COMING

The office is--tense. Duo doesn’t want to be there. Doesn’t want to be anywhere near it, wishes he could get seven million miles away. Now that he knows it’s impossible to unknow. Now that he knows it’s impossible to look at Zechs without feeling anything other than a slow burning fury that he leashes only for Wufei. Only for the sake of proof and the need to do this by the book. To have a case he can put before Une as justification for--whatever happens. Whatever violence comes boiling out of him once he has everything he needs together and has a plan and--Duo takes a deep breath. Straightens his shoulders as he packs up, slipping the report from the explosion at the training site Heero smuggled him at lunch in between two folders. As if Zechs could somehow see through his bag, would know what he was walking home with.   
  
“Heading home?”  
  
“Yep,” Duo says, grinning. He’s had years of practice faking it and isn’t worried. Knows he can fool Zechs despite the flicker of anxiety he feels. They’re not close. Not even after all their time working together and Duo knows the blond has no idea what to look for. Doesn’t know how to scan Duo’s face and catch on all the little tells. Zechs’ smile is polite, the same as it’s always been. It’s the eyes that are different. Or at least, it’s the eyes that Duo reads now. Can see banked suspicion, like Zechs is waiting for something. Like Zechs knows that something is coming. And he should. He should know, because what he did was stupid. Reckless. The actions of a desperate man and Duo. Duo shifts his bag over his shoulder and tosses a wave in Zechs’ direction. “See you tomorrow!”  
  
“Tell Wufei I said hello,” Zechs calls after him. “We’ll have to do lunch once he’s back in the office.” Duo laughs and nods and tries not to hear it as a threat. Shoots Zechs a grin over his shoulder and steps into the elevator. The doors slide shut and he goes flat. Is barely contained fury that trembles as he rides down to the parking garage. Heads out the door and to his car and is safely inside of it with the doors locked before he begins to curse. Shakes and slams his fist against his steering wheel and—hopes that it’s enough. That what he has is enough, now. Duo can’t spend another moment with Zechs’ smug face. The knowing-not-knowing that Zechs does, where he thinks Duo is a gullible idiot and all of his schemes are untraceable. 

He takes a deep breath. Buckles his seatbelt. Sends Wufei a quick text and starts the car. Home. He needs to be home, to know Wufei is safe. To review the files and the new report and then—strategize. If what he thinks is there is there—if there’s proof that links Zechs to both explosions, to every instance of death on his team since it starts—he can act. Claim Zechs was the very threat Duo was hired to eliminate. Une won’t like it and he’ll probably be fired, but the weight of Death is heavy, and he isn’t sure he can carry it anymore. Wants to do what he can to silence the ghosts that follow him. Duo takes his car out of park and drives.

* * *

“No! I’m not going to lose you!”  
  
“You’re won’t.” 

“You don’t know that. You _can’t_ know that.” There’s a crack in Duo’s voice. A waver as he looks at Wufei, hands fisted at his sides. He swallows, hard. Blinks rapidly and tips his head back, desperate not to cry. Trying to ride the wave of what he’s feeling without letting it drag him under and he’s not sure he can. Not sure it’s even possible, but he tries and swallows and--. Wufei takes a step toward. Another step, taking him by the arms and resting their foreheads together. The touch steadies him. Helps Duo ground himself and he lets out a shaky breath. He reaches for Wufei’s hips. Molds his hands to them and tries not to think about all near misses. All the moments where either of them could’ve been killed. Where all the possibility between them could’ve been scattered like so much debris across the asphalt. 

“Duo,” Wufei starts. Presses a gentle finger over Duo’s mouth as he starts to speak. “Duo--You aren’t alone in this. Don’t I deserve my own vengeance?” It’s unfair. An echo of the promise he made when Wufei was in the hospital. Wufei is right. He does deserve his own vengeance. And Duo wants to give it to him—wants to let him carve Zechs down to the bone, an inch for every life lost. Let him write the names of the dead on his ribcage. Wrapping his arms around Wufei’s waist, Duo nods. Lets out a soft, exhausted sigh as his shoulders slump, whatever fight he had left in him gone. 

“Okay. Okay. How do we wanna do this?” 

“I’m going to start some tea,” Wufei tells him, stroking the backs of his fingers over Duo’s cheek, “and we can look at our evidence, and decide from there. Maybe call Trowa and Heero.” 

“Trowa—“

“You’re not alone, love. Two teams, remember? Two teams of two. That’s the protocol.” 

It is. Duo knows that because he wrote the protocol. Rewrote it with that rule after he lost Alice. She wasn’t the first red stain against him. Wasn’t the first life snuffed out under his watch. It was just that she was the first he felt like he could’ve prevented, if he’d done it right. If he’d done it better.  
  
Wufei leaves the room and Duo settles on the couch. Spreads out what he has, the files and pages of depositions in his scratchy handwriting. Two separate bomb analyses. There are sticky notes on everything. Little tags with dates and numbers that Duo knows need to be assembled. Ordered neatly and straightforward so that when it’s presented as evidence, there’s no hint of a grudge. Regardless of what the other pilots might feel, Duo’s never had an issue with Zechs. Was happy to work with him, delighted by the man’s dedication and quick strategy. Now--Duo sees it differently. Recognizes it as a ploy, a way to gain trust.  
  
“Here.” Wufei says, handing him a mug. It’s chamomile. Duo gives Wufei a sharp look, eyes narrowing. His lover raises his own mug--the same. “Three hours. We work for three hours, and then we go to bed.”  
  
“But what if--”  
  
“No what ifs.” It’s firm. Steely, and Duo finds himself at the end of one of Wufei’s looks. Finds himself melting despite the chaos around them. The hurricane of fear in his chest. How he loves this man. How he loves the way he understands him, his need to fix this, and combats it with chamomile and the promise of bed, together. Duo takes a sip of his tea and leans into him. Presses a firm kiss to his shoulder as Wufei continues. “You’re still in charge, Duo. None of them can go into the field unless you authorize it.”  
  
“I know,” he replies softly. A kiss is pressed to his temple. A warm hand rubs his back. And then Duo sits up. Reaches for the report and opens it between them, a bedtime story neither of them wants to read. They are looking for similarities. They are looking for a signature that will tie this bomb to the last bomb, the fake call. The fake call Duo has been able to tie to other fake calls, to all the fake calls. It goes all the way back. They are undeniably linked, from language to set up to execution. What he needs is something that points to Zechs in a way that can’t be dismissed and it’s here, he knows it and--  
  
“Love.” It’s soft. Their empty cups of tea are on the coffee table. The papers have been scattered and unscattered. Clipped together neatly in a way that is distinctly Wufei in a way Duo can’t explain. His lover takes the report from his lap and sets it on top. Brushes Duo’s hair away from his face and kisses him gently. “Time for bed. I’ll send Heero an email in the morning with a dinner invitation and what we have so far. Maybe he can quietly do some digging on his own.”  
  
Duo can only nod and let himself be led to bed. There is not enough. Not yet, and Duo feels a flicker of despair. He curls around Wufei and clings and hopes that his dragon is right--that neither of them will be left behind.

* * *

The next day is somehow worse. Duo doesn’t like Thursdays as it is, but it’s worse than usual. He’s left the files at home. Doesn’t want anything on him in case--whatever it is he thinks is going to happen happens. Wufei is working from home, reviewing recruit applications and sending Duo texts every thirty minutes to let him know he’s okay. That he’s safe and Zechs hasn’t somehow managed to sneak away to hurt him. Even though Duo is working with his office door open, listening closely for every keystroke. Every shift in the crappy Preventer-issue chair. It’s overboard and he knows it and can’t seem to stop. Keeps seeing Wufei in the hospital. Keeps seeing things that didn’t happen every time he closes his eyes.  
  
“Duo?”  
  
He jerks. Looks up and it’s Quatre, of all people. Duo forces a smile. 

“Hey, Q. What’s up?”  
  
“Just stopping by.” Quatre flashes Zechs a warm smile and then shuts the door as he walks into Duo’s office. Goes deadly quiet as he sits across from Duo. Folds his hands in his lap and looks at him silently for several moments. When he finally does speak, dread settles in Duo’s stomach. “Relena sends her love.” 

“Shit. Oh shit, Quat--” The blond holds up his hand. Cuts him off.  
  
“I love my wife. I may have used politics as an excuse to propose, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her.” It’s soft, and slow. Quatre takes a deep breath. “I need to be there for her, and to support her.” Duo nods. It’s perfectly clear, as roundabout as it is. He couldn’t ask it anyway. Could never ask Quatre to get involved. Not when the woman he loves is Zechs’ sister. Wordlessly, he reaches a hand out. His eyes widen as Quatre takes it. It’s less a handshake and more a hug and it’s also--a flash drive. Duo swallows. Holds Quatre’s gaze as he pulls his hand away and slips the flash drive up his sleeve. Smiles at him.  
  
“Love you too, little buddy.” 

Quatre laughs as he stands. Shoots Duo a wink and heads to the door. He opens it with a warm backward look. “Relena misses you. We’ll have to do dinner soon.”  
  
“Name the time, Q.” Duo’s heart pounds in his chest as he returns the smile, then turns back to his computer, the flash drive a brand against his skin.

* * *

“Quatre?” Heero asks, eyes widening. Duo nods. Hands the flash drive over. Trowa shakes his head as he accepts a mug of black tea from Wufei. Duo smiles as his lover sits next to him. Leans over and kisses his cheek, linking his arm through his. There’s a soft retching noise from Trowa, and Heero kicks him. The room is silent. Is focused on Heero and the steady sound of his keyboard. Heero doesn’t even blink. Doesn’t seem to notice three sets of eyes on him as he works, brow furrowing deeper with every passing moment.  
  
“So this is what it takes,” Heero says finally. Duo blinks.  
  
“What?”  
  
“This is what it takes to get you to shut up.” There’s a snort from beside him, and then Trowa cracks up. Falls back against the couch with his arms around his stomach. Duo rolls his eyes and grins. Can’t help it, even as he shoves playfully at Wufei. He gets a shove back for his efforts, and then a sudden tickle. He yelps. Squirms on the couch as his lover attacks his sides and then goes limp as he stops. Pants hard and looks at Heero and--freezes. Stares at his dropped-open mouth. Duo swallows hard. Meets Heero’s gaze.It’s only three words but they are enough. They give Duo everything.   
  
“We got him.” 


End file.
